Bright Lights, Dean City
Bright Lights, Dean City is the thirteenth episode of Season 4 and the overall fifty-second episode of The Venture Bros. Plot Professor Impossible hires Dean Venture as a summer intern at Impossible Industries in New York City, while Impossible and Baron Underbheit, secretly become part of Phantom Limb's Revenge Society, plan to enact revenge on everyone who wronged them in the past (the list includes Jonas Venture Jr., Dr. Girlfriend, The Monarch, Girl Hitler, and even Henchman #21). When Dean discovers that Professor Impossible is working with them, he attacks Underbheit, which causes Phantom Limb to shock him into unconsciousness. When Dean wakes up, Professor Impossible tells him that the Revenge Society is a super-criminal "back to work" organization to help former supervillains reintegrate into society, which Dean believes. Professor Impossible reveals to the other members of The Revenge Society that he has been keeping Cody, his former brother-in-law, in captivity: powering the entire building in order to keep Impossible Industries green. Phantom Limb approves of how exquisitely evil this is, as it keeps Cody in constant pain (unlike the Human Torch, Cody can feel his body being burned). Dean coordinates interviews with potential members for the Revenge Society, including Lady-Hawk Johnson, who turns into a bird at night; Lyndon-Bee, who turns into a bee during the day; Mr. Polygamy, a four-armed Mormon with four wives; Giant Indian, a Native American who claims he can "grow bigger"; Scare Bear, a silent man in a bear costume with a bloody knife (which frightens all the members, including Phantom Limb); and Fat Chance, an obese supervillain who can pull random things from anywhere in time and space from a void hole in his stomach. Meanwhile, Dr. Venture's latest get-rich-quick scheme is a Broadway musical called "Rusty!" about his childhood, which he plans to peddle to every agent and producer in town, in the process greatly irritating Dean by moving into his tiny cockroach-infested apartment without asking. Learning of Venture's presence in the city, the Revenge Society decides to make him their first victim, trapping him in a taxicab driven by a disguised Baron Underbheit. However, Dr. Venture is too absorbed in his MP3 player to notice Phantom Limb's threatening message, or when an air freshener starts leaking toxic gas. Due to Professor Impossible's inexperience in villainy, the gas is released into the front seat of the taxi, knocking out Underbheit. The speeding taxi is only stopped by the actions of the Brown Widow, a parody of Spider-Man. The Revenge Society learns about Rusty's musical and Fat Chance, in a gag phone call as "Mr. Big Time from Big Time Productions," invites him to One Impossible Plaza as a trap. When he gets there, the current three members, alongside new members Lady-Hawk Johnson, Lyndon-Bee, and Fat Chance, ambush him. Dean tries to get help, but he accidentally reactivates Cody. Unaware that the only way to extinguish Cody is to put him to sleep, Dean releases him, thinking that he's just on fire. Phantom Limb tries to zap Rusty, but Fat Chance trips over his invisible leg and sucks Dr. Venture into an alternate universe. The fire caused by Cody spreads throughout One Impossible Plaza, destroying Rusty's musical. In the post-credits scene, the cliffhanger from the previous episode is resolved when it turns out the Dr. Venture coming through the portal is an alternate universe counterpart of the latter who was returning a cuffed Rusty to his proper dimension. The alternate universe Dr. Venture reveals Rusty tried to kill him and take his place because he has more hair, more money, and a hit Broadway musical. Episode Cast * [[wikipedia:James_Urbaniak|'James Urbaniak']]: Dr. Venture, Phantom Limb * [[wikipedia:Michael_Sinterniklaas|'Mike Sinterniklaas']]: Dean Venture * [[Chris McCulloch|'Chris McCulloch']]: Hank Venture, Fat Chance, Cody, Mr. Polygamy, Lyndon Bee * [[wikipedia:Bill Hader|'Bill Hader']]: Professor Impossible, Alien Villain * [[wikipedia:T. Ryder Smith|'T. Ryder Smith']]: Baron Ünderbheit * [[wikipedia:Mia Barron|'Mia Barron']]: Ladyhawk Johnson * [[wikipedia:Nathan_Fillion|'Nathan Fillion']]: Brown Widow First Appearances * Brick Frog * Brown Widow * Fat Chance * Giant Indian * Lady-Hawk Johnson * Lyndon-Bee * Mr. Polygamy * Scare Bear S.P.A.W.M. When planning to recruit potential new members for The Revenge Society, Phantom Limb advises Baron Ünderbheit and Professor Impossible to looks for powers and attributes that adhere to S.P.A.W.M., "an acronym for the classic panoply of powers every professional villain team needs." * S = Speed * P = Power * A = Air * W = Water (or Wind, or Weather)* * M = Magic *Phantom Limb notes that the W (Water) can alternatively stand for Wind or Weather, "but you definitely need at least one elemental in the mix." Ünderbheit mentions that a "fire guy" would be cool, prompting Impossible to introduce them to his former brother-in-law Cody. "I'm Rusty!" Rusty Venture writes an autobiographical Broadway musical called Rust! in one night. These are the lyrics to the song "I'm Rusty", as performed in the episode by Rusty and Brown Widow: The dreams I buried With robot fingers They linger Why, Rusty? The man of action Like muscle mothers Not brothers On grand adventures They pushed me with them For mayhem Who's Rusty? I'm Rusty-y-y (I'm Rusty-y-y) A more fully produced version of the song plays over the end credits, sung by Rusty Venture: (I'm Rusty, I'm Rusty) The man of action Like muscle mothers Not brothers On grand adventures They push me with them For mayhem He's Rusty Connections to Other Episodes [[The Incredible Mr. Brisby|'The Incredible Mr. Brisby']] * Bizzy Bee, the mascot of Roy Brisby's media empire from The Incredible Mr. Brisby, is seen in an outside advertisement while Dr. Venture rides Ünderbheit's taxi. [[Ice Station – Impossible!|''Ice Station – Impossible!]] * Professor Impossible reveals he has been using Cody, his ex brother-in-law, as a power source for the entirety of One Impossible Plaza. Cody had earlier appeared as Impossible's de facto prisoner in the Season 1 episode [[Ice Station – Impossible!|''Ice Station – Impossible!]] [[Powerless in the Face of Death|''Powerless in the Face of Death]] * Skye, Dr. Venture's love interest from the rave in [[Powerless in the Face of Death|''Powerless in the Face of Death]],'' makes a return. She walks through Times Square, unnoticed, during Dean's lunch break. ''[[Home is Where the Hate is|'Home is Where the Hate is']] * Phantom Limb makes reference to Tim-Tom and Kevin, the Murderous Moppets, being "well-placed sleeper agents"--adding context to a scene in Home is Where the Hate is where the two discuss poisoning The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend in their sleep. Given that Dr. Girlfriend has not been shown knowing them prior to Limb inducting her into a supervillianous life (in flashbacks in Shadowman 9: In the Cradle of Destiny), it is likely that Limb initially arranged them to be her henchmen, with the sleeper function in case he needed to have her killed. [[Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman|''Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman]] * Despite being in New York, Dean continues working on his newsletter [[The Venture Home News|''The Venture Home News]] in his off hours. His work is delayed by his father highjacking the typewriter to work on his Broadway musical, Rust! The Venture Home News was first mentioned in the Season 3 episode ''Dr. Quymn, Medicine Woman''. [[What Goes Down Must Come Up|'What Goes Down Must Come Up']] * During the audition process for The Revenge Society there are several people in the waiting room who have been seen in previous episodes, such as the rat suited villain that appeared briefly in What Goes Down Must Come Up. [[The Revenge Society|'The Revenge Society']] * The Revenge Society now has at least six real members, instead of in The Revenge Society, in which it had one real member & three imaginary ones. * Phantom Limb continues to use "Thin White" as a derogatory epithet for the Sovereign (David Bowie). In The Revenge Society, he flouted Bowie's authority openly and called him "The Thin White Douche." * After Dr. Venture is cast into Fat Chance's "Enigma Hole," the other members of The Revenge Society attempt to extract him. At one point, Baron Ünderbheit pulls Chuck, Phantom Limb's toaster from ''The Revenge Society'' and ''Pomp and Circuitry'', from the hole. [[Pinstripes & Poltergeists|''Pinstripes and Poltergeists]] * Brown Widow is voiced by Nathan Fillion of Firefly fame - because Nathan tweeted Doc and Jackson in regards to Henchman 21's reference in [[Pinstripes & Poltergeists|''Pinstripes and Poltergeists]] that meeting the cast of Firefly was one of the greatest moments in his life (according to DVD commentary). [[Everybody Comes to Hank's|''Everybody Comes to Hank's]] * This episode takes place during the same time period as [[Everybody Comes to Hank's|''Everybody Comes to Hank's]]. [[Momma's Boys|''Momma's Boys]] * Revenge Society hopeful Giant Indian later reappears as one of the inmates at Dunwitch Asylum for the Criminally Obsessive in the episode [[Momma's Boys|''Momma's Boys]]. [[Tanks for Nuthin'|''Tanks for Nuthin]] * Brick Frog and Giant Indian, first introduced in this episode trying out for The Revenge Society, are both seen drinking at the supervillain bar Ye Old Battleaxe in [[Tanks for Nuthin'|''Tanks for Nuthin]]. [[It Happening One Night|'It Happening One Night']] * First appearance of Scare Bear, who terrified Professor Impossible, Phantom Limb, and Baron Ünderbheit during his audition for The Revenge Society. Scare Bear doesn't appear again until the Season 6 episode It Happening One Night. Cultural References [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Spider-Man_%28TV_series%29 '''Amazing Spider-Man']'' (1977-1979) * Brown Widow (a parody of Spider-Man) tells Dr. Venture that he was in the play The Sound of Music when he was younger. In the 1970s Amazing Spider-Man TV series, Spider-Man was played by Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich Von Trapp in the 1965 film version of The Sound of Music. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_Chief Apache Chief] * Giant Indian, the Native American supervillain that interviews for The Revenge Society, is a parody of Apache Chief in nationality as well as his ability to "grow larger" with the aid of a special phrase, "Enuk chuk!" [[wikipedia:Big (film)|''Big]]' (1988)' * Dean's apartment seems to be based on a combination of other fictional New York City apartments, such as Josh Baskin's (Tom Hanks) flophouse apartment in [[wikipedia:Big (film)|''Big]].'' There is even a payphone with stacks of coffee cups on top of it on the wall outside his door. ''[[wikipedia:Big Love|'Big Love']]' (2006-2011)' * Mr. Polygamy and his wives are reminiscent of cast members from the HBO series Big Love, about a fundamentalist Mormon family in contemporary Utah who practice polygamy. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Lights,_Big_City_%28novel%29 '''Bright Lights, Big City']'' (1984) * The title of the episode is a reference to the book Bright Lights, Big City, which later spawned a 1988 film starring Michael J. Fox and a 1999 rock musical. [[wikipedia:Coming to America|''Coming to America]]' (1988)' * Dean's apartment seems to be based on a combination of other fictional New York City apartments, such as Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and Semmi's (Arsenio Hall) first apartment in [[wikipedia:Coming to America|''Coming to America]], complete with the chalk outline of a body on the floor. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunk_%28comics%29#Chunk Chunk] * Fat Chance is parody of both The Blob and The Spot and his powers are also similar to those of Flash supporting cast member Chunk. Jacob Riis * When Dr. Venture first enters Dean's apartment, he asks if Dean is waiting for "Jacob Riis to take his picture." Jacob Riis was a famed journalist that focused on crime ridden slums in New York City. [[wikipedia:Joe's Apartment|''Joe's Apartment]]' (1996)' * Dean's apartment seems to be based on a combination of other fictional New York City apartments, such as [[wikipedia:Joe's Apartment|''Joe's Apartment]], complete with the swarm of cockroaches devouring food. [[wikipedia:Ladyhawke (film)|'Ladyhawke']]' (1985)' * Lady-Hawk Johnson's name and ability to transform into a hawk while her husband is human is a parody of the fantasy film Ladyhawke. Lilith Fair * When Professor Impossible suggests changing the name of The Revenge Society to The Violet Hour Phantom Limb remarks that it sounds like they should be headlining the Lilith Festival, which is a take on Lilith Fair . [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_B._Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson]' / Lady Bird Johnson' * Lady-Hawk Johnson and Lyndon-Bee are references to former first lady Lady Bird Johnson and former President Lyndon B. Johnson. * During the confrontation between The Revenge Society and Dr. Venture, Lyndon-Bee states "I shall not seek, and I will not accept" Rusty's escape, a phrase the real Lyndon B. Johnson used when announcing that he would not run for re-election in 1968. [[wikipedia:Mitt Romney|'Mitt Romney']] * Mr. Polygamy was intended to be a parody of the fundamentalist Mormon tradition of marrying multiple wives (disavowed by the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and was drawn to look similar to American politician Mitt Romney, a prominent Mormon. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer * Phantom Limb states that he had thought Manhattan was supposed to be the epicenter of supervillainy but it instead looks more like the Island of Misfit Toys as seen in the Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. South Pacific * While in the taxicab Dr. Venture sings along to Some Enchanted Evening as featured in the Broadway musical South Pacific. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spawn_%28comics%29 SPAWN] * When Phantom Limb suggest that they start review candidates for The Revenge Society, he says to the others that they should consider SPAWM as a acronym. Professor Impossible and Ünderbheit thinks he is talking about the comic book SPAWN (as well as the 1997 movie starring Martin Sheen.) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_%281967_TV_series%29 '''Spider-Man']'' (1967-1970) * The Brown Widow casts a spiderweb in the middle of the street to stop the runaway taxi driven by an unconscious Baron Ünderbheit (and containing Rusty Venture in the back seat), and the vehicle is caught and stopped in the web. This is almost identical to the same imagery used in the opening credits of the 1967-1970 Spider-Man animated television series. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_%282002_film%29 Spider-Man]' (2002)' * When Brown Widow talks to Dean on the balcony, he is hanging upside down and holding Dean's face, a reference to the "Spider-man kiss" scene in the 2002 film, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man_%282002_film%29 Spider-Man]. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Man_2 Spider-Man 2]' (2004)' * In another Spider-Man reference, during Dean's time-lapse apartment scene, besides redecorating, he crawls backward up the corner of his room while in his Spidey pajamas. This is a reference to a similar scene from the 2004 film, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider_Man_2 Spider-Man 2], which also occurred in a run down New York apartment. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Turn_Off_the_Dark Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark]' (2010)' * Brown Widow's interest in Dr. Venture's musical is a reference to the Broadway musical production [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Turn_Off_the_Dark Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark]. [[wikipedia:Temple garment|'Temple garment']] * Professor Impossible asks Mr. Polygamy about his "magic underwear", a reference to Mormon temple garments. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blob_%28comics%29 The Blob] * Fat Chance is parody of both The Blob and The Spot and his powers are also similar to those of Flash supporting cast member Chunk. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spot_%28comics%29 The Spot] * Fat Chance is parody of both The Blob and The Spot and his powers are also similar to those of Flash supporting cast member Chunk. [[wikipedia:The Shining (film)|'The Shining']]' (1980) * One of the supervillains (in this case more of a deranged psychopath) that The Revenge Society interviews wields a knife in a reference to The Shining. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music_%28film%29 '''The Sound of Music'] (1965)' * Brown Widow (a parody of Spider-Man) tells Dr. Venture that he was in the play ''The Sound of Music when he was younger. In the 1970s Amazing Spider-Man TV series, Spider-Man was played by Nicholas Hammond, who played Friedrich Von Trapp in the 1965 film version of The Sound of Music. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T._S._Eliot T. S. Eliot] * Professor Impossible wishes to re-name The Revenge Society, rebranding it as "The Violet Hour"--a reference to T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land. Walkman * Dr. Venture tells Dean that he bought his Walkman back from Hank's store and loaded it up with show tunes. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney_Company Walt Disney Company] * The appearance of numerous "Bizzy Bee" images around New York City is a reference to the numerous images of characters associated with the Walt Disney Company which dot Times Square. Bizzy Bee is an animated character created by Venture villain Roy Brisby, and the show previously mentioned how Brisby was "taking over" Times Square (much as the Disney company has been accused of culturally destroying the same area.) Production Notes and Trivia * One of the animation directors (Kimson Albert) has a "nickname" inserted into his credits. The nickname is an unusual line or word from the preceding episode. For Bright Lights, Dean City the credit reads Kimson "Hot Sandwich" Albert. * Jackson Publick wrote this episode at the same time as Doc Hammer wrote ''Everybody Comes to Hank's''. Doc Hammer finished Everybody Comes to Hank's first, so it was aired first.Pierce, Leonard. Bright Lights, Dean City. The AV Club. October 10, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010. * The song playing when Dean is monologuing about his internship with Impossible Industries is called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bybgAnhv2dg Window Gazing] by Ivor Slaney. Reception Leonard Pierce of The AV Club gave Bright Lights, Dean City a B. Footnotes Category:The Venture Bros. episodes Category:2010 television episodes Category:Season 4 Category:Episodes